Studies on the biosynthesis of basic 16-membered macrolide antibiotic, platenomycins. I. Selection of and cosynthesis by non-platenomycin-producing mutants.

In a search for blocked mutants which may produce a biosynthetic intermediate, mutation by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine treatment and/or ultra-violet irradiation were performed on platenomycin-producing Streptomyces platensis subsp. malvinus MCRL 0388 (NRRL 3761). Twenty four non-platenomycin-producing stable mutants were thus obtained and tested for cosynthesis ability. Antibiotic cosynthesis with a pair of these mutants made it possible to detect the producer of an intermediate. Among these mutants which were classified into eight groups (A to G and doubtful groups), mutants of groups A and B appeared from their complementation pattern to be the useful producers of biosynthetic intermediates of platenomycin.